At their meeting last Tuesday, September 7, the Clarion City Council discussed a plan to start rental inspections in Clarion and possibly pair that inspector position with a code enforcement position through the city. Middleton noted that the police department who has been short-staffed recently struggles to keep up with code enforcement, and rental inspections have been discussed in the past and are overdue. The council was agreeable to the idea. Middleton added that he already has spoken to a qualified person about this position, which he noted would start as part-time and be on a trial basis for a time. This action would first require changing and adding to city code, which Middleton hopes to start next meeting. He added that landlords and renters will be provided with more information about this process as it unfolds.
Carolyn Bowman from the Clarion Pride Good Neighbor Association addressed the council. She noted that the group will be holding a fall city-wide clean-up. It is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 1 and 2. The collection site will be near the Depot again. They are still deciding on collection times each day.
Several resolutions were approved, again regarding the city’s various water projects. The first was to set a public hearing for the submission of a CDBG grant application for the water treatment plant. Middleton explained that this same hearing was held last month, but since then, the city had to re-complete their low-and-moderate (LMI) income status survey that allows Clarion to qualify for CDBG moneys. The survey found that the city has around a 64% LMI status, higher than the previous survey a few years ago found. With those new numbers, the public hearing to submit the grant application has to be redone. It will take place next council meeting.
In his report, Middleton explained that he attended a meeting for the Downtown Revitalization project that focuses on building facades. This project looks for properties eligible for grant funding for work to the front of their buildings. Owners of eligible buildings would be responsible for paying 25% of the project, with the city covering 25% and the grant 50%. Owners with qualifying properties will be notified.
Director of Public Works, Jon Devries, said that he and Middleton got to see a 3-D tour of the inside of the planned water treatment plant, which they found very valuable. He added that they are on track for a February or March bid-letting.
